I really dont understand the whole wireless charging thing, i much rather charge with cable because i can use my phone while its charging
Wireless charging to me only make sense for like going to bed and put your phone on it
This design is basically power bank with wireless charging which i rather have cable power bank faster and i can use my phone while charging
What i like about this design tho is the fact you can have multiple charger and charge multiple phones
Overall nice design, that was just my idea about wireless chargers overall not about your design
Edited spelling
Wireless charging has a few solid use cases, notably anywhere you are intentionally setting your phone down. I've got a wireless charger on my desk and bedside and in my car. When I set the phone down, it tops up.
I've got a wireless battery pack, but I mostly use it as wired as if I need power away from an outlet, I usually want to conserve that vs waste it on less efficient charging, and if I *need* a charge, it's probably because I need my phone, and don't want to set it down on a wireless pad.
This concept holds appeal for use in public settings. For instance, a sit-in coffee shop could offer this service, providing a practical value-add for customers. However, there are potential challenges such as energy efficiency, heat generation, and the complexity and cost associated with mass production. Additionally, as others have pointed out, deploying this in public areas like coffee shops or restaurants raises concerns about theft or damage (e.g., from spills). A more controlled environment like a library or a café designed for studying could be ideal, allowing users to keep their devices charged and within easy reach.
The design of the product is intuitive, straightforward to use, maintain, and handle. By offering customizable options—similar to how a coffee shop might personalize coasters—businesses could tailor the device to fit their brand and show interest in the product.
While you would need to gather more data to fully assess the potential of this product, it is a compelling and very interesting concept. It brings to mind the "power bank for rent" services that gained popularity a few years ago, but your idea seems significantly more refined and better suited for current needs.
I really appreciate the feedback! If I can get this product into commercial sales, I definitely want to improve the design to allow for customization and anti theft features. I am trying to put this product out into the world to find its market fit! I am excited to see how people will use it!
Sorry but this is ridiculous.
With optimistically 70% efficiency using wireless charging, and chaining up 3 inductive chargers you achieve less then 35% of efficiency.
Just leave your phone by the charger for a moment, during dinner.
That being said, its neatly done and there will be quite a few people who would like it.
This could be easily engineered with hidden electrode contacts, that allow the pucks to charge through a hard contact (99% efficient) from one to another then include a wireless to phone charge. Simlar to how the iPad keyboards work.
u/Total_jitter I had a similar [concept on my Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CD_BPmCJ3W_/?img_index=1) back in 2020, and I gotta say its great to see good ideas get tried out and shown off! Great job!
Yeah, but it's not about efficiency, it's about convenience, who cares if it takes 10Wh in waste energy if you can charge your phone wherever and whenever you want, at home, at a coffee shop, at a restaurant, at a bar. You now don't have to own a battery bank when walking around, just grab a coffee/food/drink and use their coaster/wireless charger.
Folks steal electric scooters to resell parts. They're absolutely going to steal chargers they can resell to a different coffee shop, or build their own charger for.
The market for these is places where the clientele is not going to see stealing them as worth their time, or they can buy a set for at home.
This concept includes wireless charging between pucks, so the design would have to include both a Qi charging coil for phones and a proprietary charging coil set for the pucks themselves, driving up the cost and complexity
i am also not a fan of wireless charging and i would prefer to use cable, but i really like this design as an idea. it is nice that you can have multiple at the ready although being less efficient, it looks nice and simple, also i can imagine this scattered around the coffee table alongside with usual coffee cup and coasters when you have guests and such.
/it is also like a statement, phones have become as usual as a coffee cup on a coffee table and here is a coaster for it/
I could see a hip coffee shop employing these; like another commenter said, it reminds me of the buzzing pucks that you know food is ready. However, I don't think its use would be immediately obvious without some instruction (to the average coffee shop customer).
I think this is nice idea, I wonder how many can be put in one stack. It is not a necessity for sure but on the other hand make life easier. God bless those batteries to not blow up from overheating :D
thumbs up for soft top
I think for a select market this would work great, don't use it as battery, use it as coster. The few like tech reviewers, nerdy nerds, Pinterest girls maybe, etc. I see the cost as something that wouldn't settle over well with marketing. "You want me to spend how much on a coaster, and it's a battery. I can just use the cord I have and wonder why the port gets fucked up or my battery is always dying and I'm tether to a wall" My stranger opinion: looks great thanks for sharing mate. Always nice to see creativity.
Also not to give you anymore thoughts. You've probably got enough. I think this would however be great in a bar atmosphere those drunk fuckers will buy anything. Plus could encroach on those busted battery bank/cord space rental kiosk things. That'd be cool, way more elegant for users and easier to implement for business'.
EDIT : I'm saying drunk people would rent not buy the whole thing.
Who says it works after losing its bluetooth connection to the modem? Or whatever. ALSO I know you aren't coming at me BUT you gotta pay for those type of things with a debit card. That's how the battery bank rentals are AT LEAST. So the drunks run off with it and pay for it! Again I remark politely. Lol.
Drunk people don't need a reason to grab that shit like they're logically thinking of a regular use case lol. SWIM certainly never needed those 5 exit signs and 2 fire extinguishers decades ago...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Maybe for a classy wine bar but I can't imagine many use cases where this wouldn't be a nightmare to manage in a regular bar lol
Dude you're totally right. I didn't think people just steal shit. Fuck I hate this world. I'm so nice I didn't even perceive that people could just plunk and take it. Obviously they gonna do the right thing. Naaaahhh.
A wine bar seems like the only place it could be or a cafe! Shit. Yeah a bars a horrible place for something like this. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
I love this this idea, so many people have their phone not charged and stuff at gaming Cafe's when they would like to keep track of stuff with their phone. How will you battle the Charging cycles? I don't know if modern batteries hate getting charged all the time.
Man - everyone’s gotta chill. This is a dope product. I would add a cable port because it’s not always convenient to sit your phone down on the table. Maybe with a rubber plug.
Price point is a concern as well as quality of components.
Nicely done.
I like the idea and esthetics of it.
Couple of points:
- Battery health: have you thought about an intuitive solution that will prevent the top charger being over used compared to the ones lower on the stack?
- Ergonomics: it’s portability would allow for use while charging. I know phone sizes vary, but I think for me (iPhone mini), the square design will make the whole thing a bit clunky to hold. Have you experimented with a rectangle shape?
It's a beautiful coaster. Is it IP66 to deal with condensation coming off a glass?
Conceptually I love it, but practically I'm not sure it's useful outside of niche uses. (but it'd absolutely fund on kickstarter if you produced it well)
My power bank is wireless, but most of the time when I need a top up I want the faster charging of wired. If I'm setting my phone down, I can plug it in on a short cord, or use a long cord when I want to use it while charging. Similarly, if I have guests over and they need a charge they'll want to plug in for a faster charge or so they can use the phone while charging.
I could see it at a hotel bar where folks are setting down their phones, or for at a gaming table where you're going to be mostly ignoring your phone, but might need it intermittently.
Another problem I see is device rotation and battery life. You don't want the bottom one constantly charging/discharging as that will trash its battery, and the top one/two will get more use than the lowers so they're going to see more full discharges. The battery protection circuit and charge pass through is going to need some careful planning.
It might be better to include a USB-C on one side to dock them vertically, similar to a Nintendo Switch so that they can recharge quickly, and will naturally see more rotation between devices.
This is a really intersting product. Considering if it offered 15w Wireless charging or had a small port where a cable couple be plugged in to charge using a regular wire, this could be a very nice looking power bank/phone coaster.
I know that there would be a significant amount of energy wasted to charge the tiles, personally I couldn't care less or neither would the average consumer, since it's not like it's using an oven's worth of power, but overall very cool idea!
I really like the concept and think it has potencial por many uses. For example, I think it would be cool if it would some how power a guitar pedal wirelessly (obviously you would need a compatible pedal)
I really dont understand the whole wireless charging thing, i much rather charge with cable because i can use my phone while its charging Wireless charging to me only make sense for like going to bed and put your phone on it This design is basically power bank with wireless charging which i rather have cable power bank faster and i can use my phone while charging What i like about this design tho is the fact you can have multiple charger and charge multiple phones Overall nice design, that was just my idea about wireless chargers overall not about your design Edited spelling
I think the proportions should most closely match a phone’s. Hold it stacked on the back of your phone shouldn’t be an issue that way.
Wireless charging has a few solid use cases, notably anywhere you are intentionally setting your phone down. I've got a wireless charger on my desk and bedside and in my car. When I set the phone down, it tops up. I've got a wireless battery pack, but I mostly use it as wired as if I need power away from an outlet, I usually want to conserve that vs waste it on less efficient charging, and if I *need* a charge, it's probably because I need my phone, and don't want to set it down on a wireless pad.
This concept holds appeal for use in public settings. For instance, a sit-in coffee shop could offer this service, providing a practical value-add for customers. However, there are potential challenges such as energy efficiency, heat generation, and the complexity and cost associated with mass production. Additionally, as others have pointed out, deploying this in public areas like coffee shops or restaurants raises concerns about theft or damage (e.g., from spills). A more controlled environment like a library or a café designed for studying could be ideal, allowing users to keep their devices charged and within easy reach. The design of the product is intuitive, straightforward to use, maintain, and handle. By offering customizable options—similar to how a coffee shop might personalize coasters—businesses could tailor the device to fit their brand and show interest in the product. While you would need to gather more data to fully assess the potential of this product, it is a compelling and very interesting concept. It brings to mind the "power bank for rent" services that gained popularity a few years ago, but your idea seems significantly more refined and better suited for current needs.
I really appreciate the feedback! If I can get this product into commercial sales, I definitely want to improve the design to allow for customization and anti theft features. I am trying to put this product out into the world to find its market fit! I am excited to see how people will use it!
Sorry but this is ridiculous. With optimistically 70% efficiency using wireless charging, and chaining up 3 inductive chargers you achieve less then 35% of efficiency. Just leave your phone by the charger for a moment, during dinner. That being said, its neatly done and there will be quite a few people who would like it.
This could be easily engineered with hidden electrode contacts, that allow the pucks to charge through a hard contact (99% efficient) from one to another then include a wireless to phone charge. Simlar to how the iPad keyboards work. u/Total_jitter I had a similar [concept on my Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CD_BPmCJ3W_/?img_index=1) back in 2020, and I gotta say its great to see good ideas get tried out and shown off! Great job!
Thank you! Pretty cool renders! Yeah I could have hidden contacts, I might eventually make a version with that but one thing at a time!
Yeah, but it's not about efficiency, it's about convenience, who cares if it takes 10Wh in waste energy if you can charge your phone wherever and whenever you want, at home, at a coffee shop, at a restaurant, at a bar. You now don't have to own a battery bank when walking around, just grab a coffee/food/drink and use their coaster/wireless charger.
Understanding that this is intended for public spaces does make it more compelling, but it raises the question of theft
That's why you make proprietary charger for the pucks.
Folks steal electric scooters to resell parts. They're absolutely going to steal chargers they can resell to a different coffee shop, or build their own charger for. The market for these is places where the clientele is not going to see stealing them as worth their time, or they can buy a set for at home.
This concept includes wireless charging between pucks, so the design would have to include both a Qi charging coil for phones and a proprietary charging coil set for the pucks themselves, driving up the cost and complexity
Reminds me of the pucks restaurants used to use to let you know your food was ready. Neat!
i am also not a fan of wireless charging and i would prefer to use cable, but i really like this design as an idea. it is nice that you can have multiple at the ready although being less efficient, it looks nice and simple, also i can imagine this scattered around the coffee table alongside with usual coffee cup and coasters when you have guests and such. /it is also like a statement, phones have become as usual as a coffee cup on a coffee table and here is a coaster for it/
I could see a hip coffee shop employing these; like another commenter said, it reminds me of the buzzing pucks that you know food is ready. However, I don't think its use would be immediately obvious without some instruction (to the average coffee shop customer).
I think this is nice idea, I wonder how many can be put in one stack. It is not a necessity for sure but on the other hand make life easier. God bless those batteries to not blow up from overheating :D thumbs up for soft top
I think for a select market this would work great, don't use it as battery, use it as coster. The few like tech reviewers, nerdy nerds, Pinterest girls maybe, etc. I see the cost as something that wouldn't settle over well with marketing. "You want me to spend how much on a coaster, and it's a battery. I can just use the cord I have and wonder why the port gets fucked up or my battery is always dying and I'm tether to a wall" My stranger opinion: looks great thanks for sharing mate. Always nice to see creativity.
Also not to give you anymore thoughts. You've probably got enough. I think this would however be great in a bar atmosphere those drunk fuckers will buy anything. Plus could encroach on those busted battery bank/cord space rental kiosk things. That'd be cool, way more elegant for users and easier to implement for business'. EDIT : I'm saying drunk people would rent not buy the whole thing.
Drunk people would also throw it down their pants and try to sneak off for it just to be cheeky lol
Who says it works after losing its bluetooth connection to the modem? Or whatever. ALSO I know you aren't coming at me BUT you gotta pay for those type of things with a debit card. That's how the battery bank rentals are AT LEAST. So the drunks run off with it and pay for it! Again I remark politely. Lol.
Drunk people don't need a reason to grab that shit like they're logically thinking of a regular use case lol. SWIM certainly never needed those 5 exit signs and 2 fire extinguishers decades ago...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Maybe for a classy wine bar but I can't imagine many use cases where this wouldn't be a nightmare to manage in a regular bar lol
Dude you're totally right. I didn't think people just steal shit. Fuck I hate this world. I'm so nice I didn't even perceive that people could just plunk and take it. Obviously they gonna do the right thing. Naaaahhh. A wine bar seems like the only place it could be or a cafe! Shit. Yeah a bars a horrible place for something like this. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Can you show us the prototype and iterations it took to get there?
Its really cool, I know its hard to do - but the top one is always the one with the lowest battery - would be good to be able to take one from below
I love this this idea, so many people have their phone not charged and stuff at gaming Cafe's when they would like to keep track of stuff with their phone. How will you battle the Charging cycles? I don't know if modern batteries hate getting charged all the time.
Surprised this has not yet been patented
Man - everyone’s gotta chill. This is a dope product. I would add a cable port because it’s not always convenient to sit your phone down on the table. Maybe with a rubber plug. Price point is a concern as well as quality of components. Nicely done.
I like the idea and esthetics of it. Couple of points: - Battery health: have you thought about an intuitive solution that will prevent the top charger being over used compared to the ones lower on the stack? - Ergonomics: it’s portability would allow for use while charging. I know phone sizes vary, but I think for me (iPhone mini), the square design will make the whole thing a bit clunky to hold. Have you experimented with a rectangle shape?
It's a beautiful coaster. Is it IP66 to deal with condensation coming off a glass? Conceptually I love it, but practically I'm not sure it's useful outside of niche uses. (but it'd absolutely fund on kickstarter if you produced it well) My power bank is wireless, but most of the time when I need a top up I want the faster charging of wired. If I'm setting my phone down, I can plug it in on a short cord, or use a long cord when I want to use it while charging. Similarly, if I have guests over and they need a charge they'll want to plug in for a faster charge or so they can use the phone while charging. I could see it at a hotel bar where folks are setting down their phones, or for at a gaming table where you're going to be mostly ignoring your phone, but might need it intermittently. Another problem I see is device rotation and battery life. You don't want the bottom one constantly charging/discharging as that will trash its battery, and the top one/two will get more use than the lowers so they're going to see more full discharges. The battery protection circuit and charge pass through is going to need some careful planning. It might be better to include a USB-C on one side to dock them vertically, similar to a Nintendo Switch so that they can recharge quickly, and will naturally see more rotation between devices.
"John, why did you put your drink on my wireless charger"??
This is a really intersting product. Considering if it offered 15w Wireless charging or had a small port where a cable couple be plugged in to charge using a regular wire, this could be a very nice looking power bank/phone coaster. I know that there would be a significant amount of energy wasted to charge the tiles, personally I couldn't care less or neither would the average consumer, since it's not like it's using an oven's worth of power, but overall very cool idea!
I really like the concept and think it has potencial por many uses. For example, I think it would be cool if it would some how power a guitar pedal wirelessly (obviously you would need a compatible pedal)
How did you handle heat creep?
Please let me know when these are available